“She Said No”: Two Brave Students Speak Out, But Austin Peay State University Stays Silent
Clarksville, TN – April 11, 2025 — When NaCya, a student at Austin Peay State University (APSU), was assaulted in her own dorm room on December 10, 2024, she did everything a survivor is told to do. She said “no.” She resisted. She reported. She trusted her school to protect her.
But APSU failed her.
Worse still, her attacker walks free. He still texts her. He’s still on campus. And he came back—approaching her again, despite her trauma, despite her fear, despite her pleas.
Then came a second voice: Jazmine Ferby. She, too, found the courage to speak up. “He did this to me too,” she said. And just like that, the picture came into focus. This wasn’t a misunderstanding. This wasn’t an isolated incident. This was a predator, and two women brave enough to stand against him—while their university looked the other way.
The Assault That Changed Everything
NaCya’s nightmare began on a quiet December night inside the place that should’ve been safest: her dorm. The details of that night are hard to hear but necessary to say. She said no. Repeatedly. But her attacker, someone she once trusted, ignored her. He overpowered her. And then, when it was over, he left—leaving behind pain, confusion, and a young woman clinging to the belief that someone would believe her.
She turned to campus police. To student services. To the administration. And what did she get in return?
Silence. Shrugs. Inaction.
The Predator Remains Free
Instead of immediate protection or consequences, her attacker continued to roam the same campus freely. No no-contact order. No interim suspension. No accountability. He sent messages. He reappeared in her space. As if nothing had happened.
This isn’t just negligence. It’s complicity.
Another Voice, Same Story
When Jazmine Ferby came forward, the university could no longer pretend this was a “he-said-she-said.” Two women. Two survivors. One predator.
Her story echoed the same trauma, the same violation of trust. Different day, same man. The kind of pattern universities are supposed to take seriously. But instead of action, Jazmine and NaCya were met with the same institutional silence.
Why Is APSU Ignoring Them?
Austin Peay State University markets itself as a campus that values integrity, student safety, and inclusion. But where are those values now?
- Why hasn’t the school launched a full Title IX investigation?
- Why hasn’t the student in question been suspended pending results?
- Why is NaCya living in fear on a campus where her rapist still walks freely?
- Why did Jazmine have to come forward publicly for anyone to take notice?
These aren’t just administrative oversights. They’re failures of duty, failures of leadership, failures of humanity.
A Call for Justice and Change
The stories of NaCya and Jazmine are heartbreaking, but they are far from rare. Across the U.S., survivors of campus sexual assault are frequently ignored, disbelieved, or punished for speaking out, while their attackers face minimal—if any—consequences.
But something is different this time: These women are not staying silent. And now, their stories are sparking a movement on and beyond the APSU campus.
Students are demanding:
- Immediate suspension and investigation of the accused student
- Transparency in how APSU handles sexual assault reports
- Trauma-informed support for survivors
- Accountability for campus police and administrators who failed to act
We Stand With NaCya and Jazmine
To NaCya and Jazmine: we see you, we believe you, and we are with you. Your strength is powerful, your voices matter, and your stories will not be buried under bureaucracy.
To APSU: The time for silence is over. The world is watching now. And your students—your community—demand better.
No more quiet survivors. No more protected predators. Justice must begin now.
